Improvement in cartridges



UNITED STATES PATENT EFIOE.

JOHN ABRAHAM AND THOMAS RICHARD BAYLISS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARTRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 83,434, dated October27, 1868 patented in England March 20, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN ABRAHAM, of Birmingham, in the county ofWarwick, England, machinist, and THoMAs RICHARD BAY- LIss, of Birminghamaforesaid,maehinist, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, haveinvented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Central-FireCartridges for Breeeh- Loading Fire-Arms, and we, the said JOHN ABRAHAMand THOMAS RICHARD BAYLIss, do hereby declare the nature of the saidinvention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to beparticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statementthereof-that is to say:

In constructing the said cartridges we form the cases or shells of sheetmetal, or of metal and paper, or of metal and other ilexible nonmetallicmaterial. In making the said cases or shells of metal, we draw themsolid from a disk, or cut them in properlen gths from tubes. We make aseries of incisions in the metal cases or shells,the saidincisionsbein geither parallel to the axis of the case or shell, or oblique thereto, orsituated in a helical direction. The said incisions permit the case orshell to expand on firing, thereby preventing the escape of gas. Afterdischarge, the case or shell contracts, and the empty case is readilyextracted from the fire-arm. A thin metallic or other lining may be usedto more effectually prevent the escape of gas. An inner or percussionchainber for holding the percussion-pin hereinafter described issituated at the base of the cartridge and in its axis. It consists of acup formed in the middle of a blank or disk of metal, which disk isiixed in the rim of the case or shell, being held iirmly between the twosides of the said rim. The bottom of the percussion-chamber is convexinternally, and constitutes an anvil for the percussion-pin to strikeagainst. A separate anvil is thereby rendered unnecessary. The bottom ofthe permission-chamber may, however, be made iiat. The said convexbottom of the percussion chamber is pierced with a small hole for thefire-or ash to pass through to the gunpowder of the cartridge. The baseof the case or shell is pierced with a hole, the edge of which may beplain 5 or it may be turned inward upon the percussion-chamber, whichturning inward of the edge tends to prevent the escape of gas. Thepercussion-pin is a solid piece of metal or wire, of a size proper tofit the percussionchamberthat is, about the size of a percussion-cap.The inner end of the percussion-pin is made concave, and in theconcavity the charge of fulmiuate is put. The primed percussion-pin isinserted, through the hole in. the base of the cartridge, into thepercussionchamber in the said base, which chamber it fits accurately,thefulminate coming nearly in contact with the convex bottom of thepercussionchamber. When the percussion-pin is struck by the hammer orstriker of the fire-arm, its primed end strikes against the convexbottom of the percussion-chamber and ignite-s the cartridge. Ve employ awad in the base of the cartridge, which wad is of the ordinary kind, andis inserted in the cartridge in the usual manner.

Having explained the nature of our invention, we will proceed todescribe, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the manner inwhich the same is to be performed.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation and elcvations of the base andfront end of a metallic case or shell for a central-iire cartridge,provided with a series of incisions, according to our invention. Thesaid incisions are marked b, and are made parallel to the axis of thesaid case or shell a, and extend about halfway along the case or shell.We do not limit ourselves to the length or number of the said incisions.By means of these incisions the case or shell is capable of expanding onthe discharge of the cartridge, and thereby preventing the escape ofgas, while, after discharge, the said case or shell contracting permitsthe empty case to be readily removed from the barrel. Although we findthat longitudinal incisions, or incisions parallel to the axis of thecase or shell, answer satisfactorily, yet the incisions may be madeoblique to the axis of the case or shell, or in a helical direction; orthe incisions may be only partly cut through, so that the explosion mayburst the case or shell.

Figure 2 represents a thin metallic or other lining, which may be usedin the case or shell to more eifectually prevent the escape of gas. Theopen or unjointed edges of the said lining overlap one another, and thelining is thereby enabled to expand and contract.

Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal vertical section and elevation of thebase of a complete central-iire cartridge containing our severalimprovements. In the said Fig. 3 the case or l shell provided withincisions is marked 1., the

thin metallic lining is marked c, the inner or percussion chamber in thebase of the cartridge is marked d, and the percussion-pin, situated inthe same chamber, is marked c.

The percussion-chamber d is shown separately in elevation, section, andplan in Fig. 4; and the percussion-pin is shown separately in elevation,section, and plan in Fig. S. The percussionchamber consists of acnp, d,formed in the middle of a blank or disk of metal, d2.

The manner in which the percussion-chamber d is made from the disk ofmetal will be understood by referring to Fig. 5, which represents themetal blank or disk and the percussion-chamber in its several stages ot'manufacture. The bottom of the cup or chamber d is convex inward, asrepresented, and in the middle ot' the said convex bottom is a hole, dathrough which the re or Hash passes.

The manner in which the percussion-chamber d d2 is xed in the base ofthe cartridgecase will be understood by referring to Figs. 6 and 7.

After a hole, f, has been pierced in the base of t-he ease or shell, thepercussion-chamber d d2, having the conical shape represented at g, Fig.5, is introduced, mouth-forward, into the shell or case a, and made totake the position represented in Fig. 6.

By means of a pressing-tool of the proper shape, introduced into thecase or shell, the conical sides d2 of the chamber are attened, and theedges of the flattened disk thereby made to enter the space between thesides of the rim a2 of the case or shell a, as illustrated in Fig. 7.The disk d2 ot' the percussion-chamber cl is thus firmly held betweenthe rim of the case or shell.

Instead of tixin g the percussion-ehamber d d2 in the base ot' the caseor shell by the rim of the said case, as described and illustrated, anannular groove or depression may be made in the inner side of the baseof the case or shell, into which the edges of the disk ot' thepercussion-chamber may be pressed, in the manner described.

The edge of the hole f in the axis of the base of the cartridge may beturned inward upon the percussion-chamber to assist in pre venting theescape of gas.

The percussion-pin e consists of a solid piece of meta-l or wire, of asize proper accurately to tit the hole f in the base of thecartridge-case a. and the interior of the percussion-chamber d, andslightly enlarged at its base, so as to close tightly the chamber. Theinner end of the percussion-pin e has a coneavity, c2, in it, in whichthe charge of fulminate is put. The pin e is introduced through the holef into the percussion-chamber d, and is made to occupy the position inthe said chamber represented in Fig. 3-that is, its primed end e2 issituated nearly in contact with the convex bottom of thepercussion-chamber d.

A wad, h., is inserted in the base of the cartridge, and the cartridgeis completed in the ordinary manner.

On the percussion-pin c being struck by the hammer or striker of thefire-arm its primed end e2 strikes against the convex bottom of thepercussion-chamber d and ignites the fulminate in the said pin, the Hashor iire from which passes down the hole d3 in the said anvil to thegunpowder of the cartridge, and discharges the said cartridge.'

' By constructing cartridges according to our invention the fulminate ofthe percussion-pin is ignited at the bottom of the percussionchamber,and close to the gunpowdcr of the cartridge, and the risk of miss-fireis thereby reduced.

Fig. 9 represents, in section, a shell or case, with apercussion-chamber having a flat bottom, instead of the convex bottomrepresented in Figs. 3 and 7.

When the percussion-chamber has a flat bottom, the ignition of thefulminate in the per` cussion-pin takes place between the said iiatbottom and the percussion-pin.

Instead of making the edges of the percussion-pin flat, they' may beslightly cupped inward, as represented in Fig. l0.

Fig. 11 represents, in elevation and section, a case or shell of lessdiameter and more taper than that already described and represented,which we sometimes employ.

Although we prefer to use a wad in the base of the cartridge, yetcartridges made according to our invention may be used without a wad inthe base; vand although we prefer to use, in combination with the otherparts ot our invention,'a case or shell provided with incisions, yet aplain case lor shell may be used.

In the drawing we have only represented a cartridge having a metalliccase or shell; but our improved percussion-chamber and percussion-pinmay also be applied to cartridges in which'the cases or shells are madepartly of metal and partly ot' paper or other iexible non-metallicmaterial.

Having now described the nature of our invention, and the manner inwhich the same is to be performed, we Wish it to be understood that wedo not limit ourselves to thc precise details herein described andillustrated, as the same may be varied without departing from the natureof our invention; but

We claim as our invention-ot' improvements in central-lire cartridgesfor breach-loadin g tire-arms- 1. Making a series of longitudinal,oblique,

or helical incisions in the metallic cases or shells of the saidcartridges, for the purpose and substantially as hereinbefore described,and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

2. The construction, substantially as herein described, of thepercussion-chamber, by forining the same, as shown and set forth, of ablank independent from the cartridge-case, and securing it in the rim ofthe case, as herein described.

3. The combination, with a cartridge-case provided with apercussion-chamber con-l structed as described, of a primedpercussionpin enlarged at its base, so as to close tightly the saidchamber, substantiallyY as herein set forth.

JOHN ABRAHAM. [L. s.] THOMAS RICHARD BAYLISS. [L.s.j vWitnesses:

GEORGE SHAW,

7 Ummm@ Street, Biwningham. RICHARD SKERRETT,

7 0mm-on Street, Brmz'nghcmz.

